


An Angel's Smile

by rikujo (helphiddlestoned)



Series: 25 Days of Fic [6]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: 25 Days of Fic, Day 6: Angel, M/M, Snow Angels, i'll have snow in every drabble if i can
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-11 12:49:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12935640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helphiddlestoned/pseuds/rikujo
Summary: Arthur went out into the snow looking for peace and quiet. He got something entirely different, but he's still not quite sure what.





	An Angel's Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6! I honestly can't believe I've got this far. I recommend listening to The Night We Met by Lord Huron either before, after or during. It's the tone I had in mind, given that I wrote to it.

There was something uniquely hateful about world meetings around Christmas time, in Arthur’s opinion.

It wasn’t late enough in December where they all had time off, so they were forced to trudge along as usual, but even worse they were expected to be _happy_ about it.

Needless to say, Arthur wasn’t.

The only concession was that he hadn’t had to go terribly far. Paris was only a short train journey—it did mean suffering Francis in full Christmas swing, though. He still wasn’t the worst, however. Arthur swore that all the naturally exuberant nations got _louder_ during the Christmas period. It was insufferable.

Which was why he’d snuck out the back door of the building, searching for a blessed minute of peace in the stillness of the gardens. The sky was already dark despite it only being late afternoon, an empty hush drawn in across the lawns, and when Arthur stepped out into the biting chill there was snow on the ground thick enough to crunch beneath his shoes.

He glanced up as the door fell shut behind him, clocking the snowflakes still lazily falling, before heading to a low stone bench tucked in against the side of the building.

Dropping down onto it with a sigh, he tugged a cigarette from the battered pack in the inside pocket of his trench-coat. His lighter flickered, coughing stubbornly when he tried to light it, but eventually flared despite the cold. It was only with warm smoke in his lungs that his shoulders finally relaxed. He exhaled thickly, his head tipping back against the wall, and the smoke curled away into the air, mingling with the snow.

The quiet around him was somehow all-encompassing, as if the snow had muffled the whole world beyond the grounds, and for Arthur it was a welcome rest-bite.

The last thing he expected was company.

The door swung open again, the squeak jarring in the silence, and he snapped his head round to see Antonio blinking back at him.

“What are you doing here?” he blurted out, surprised to see him away from the chattering masses.

“Taking a break. What are _you_ doing here?” Antonio returned.

Arthur pursed his lips. “I _was_ having some peace and quiet.”

Antonio didn’t take the hint, coming over to sit down beside him instead. He slumped into the support of the building, head tipped back to watch the snow, and Arthur followed his movements out of the corner of his eye. Unusually, Antonio didn’t start some inane, prattling conversation, though. Arthur waited out the strange silence until his curiosity got the better of him.

“You’re quiet.”

Antonio’s eyes flicked over him momentarily. “You think?”

Arthur took another drag from his smoke, frowning as he breathed it back out. “Yes. It’s unnerving. Why?”

Antonio lifted and dropped a shoulder. “Just thinking, I guess.”

“God help us all.” Arthur muttered under his breath, but Antonio either didn’t hear it or ignored it.

Quiet settled between them, surprisingly calm for once. Arthur went back to smoking his cigarette, half-heartedly watching Antonio as Antonio watched their surroundings. It was strangely peaceful. Arthur dully wondered if this was them at their most honest, before immediately dismissing the thought as nauseatingly poetic. Perhaps he’d spent too much of his day around Francis.

“When was the last time you made a snow angel?”

Arthur stilled, thrown by the out of the blue question. He glanced over but Antonio’s expression was unchanging as he continued gazing into the sky. Exhaling a thin stream of smoke, Arthur gave it a moment’s thought.

“I can’t remember.” he muttered, slightly surprised by the realisation. Then again it was an activity generally reserved for children, but when was the last time he’d done it?

“It’s been too long then.” Antonio pronounced, nodding surely, and the next thing Arthur knew he was being dragged to his feet. His cigarette slipped from his fingers, tumbling off to die a death in the snow, and he squawked rather indignantly as he was pulled along.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” he protested, almost stumbling as Antonio lead him cheerfully down the steps onto the snow covered lawn.

“Injecting some fun into your life!”

“I don’t need any damn _fun_ and I’m certainly not about to get cold and damp for—” Antonio gave his shoulders a firm push and he tipped straight back, landing in the snow with a muted thump. It was fucking _freezing_. Arthur glared up at him. “One of these days, you really are going to do something that makes me want to murder you _permanently_.”

Antonio grinned down at him. “You look like a disgruntled cat.”

Before Arthur could snipe something back for this insult, Antonio turned and flopped straight back into the snow beside him, sending plumes of powder swirling in Arthur’s face.

“I can’t imagine why.” Arthur grumbled sarcastically as the snow settled. “I’m bloody cold now.”

“Aw, come on, you’re already down here! You might as well enjoy it.” Antonio pointed out, spreading his own arms wide and beginning to sweep them through the snow.

Sighing, Arthur considered getting straight up again, but he _was_ already there. The snow was already chilling his back, there were already snowflakes getting stuck in his hair, so what difference did it make?

Ever so slowly, he shifted his arms a little.

It felt ridiculous, so he stopped, but lying there unmoving somehow felt more so, especially with Antonio determinedly making a snow angel next to him. He gave in, swishing his arms through the snow properly and carving out an angel shape. It was such a silly thing, but it made him feel impossibly young again for a second.

He knew Antonio was smiling amusedly beside him, but he didn’t stop until he was satisfied he’d properly made the shape. Then he let his arms slow, leaving them splayed over the snow.

“How did this happen?” he asked, staring into the snow clouds disbelievingly and shaking his head.

Antonio laughed beside him. “You ignored the stick up your ass for once?”

Arthur snorted. “Sod off.” he muttered, but there was very little heat in it. “More like I let you drag me into idiocy.” he corrected.

Antonio shrugged and snow, puffed up by the movement of his arms, dusted across Arthur’s fingers.

“You’ve got to admit that it’s fun though, right? And they are pretty good snow angels.”

Arthur glanced down, trying to judge their creations without actually bothering to move. “Maybe.” he allowed, his eyes slowly drifting back to the warmly lit windows of the conference building. Someone was probably wondering where they were, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He shifted slightly, knowing he ought to get up before the cold started digging into his bones, but for some reason he didn’t. Instead he stayed put, the knowledge that their fingers were just barely touching slowly beginning to dawn on him. “I think this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve done in months.” he murmured eventually.

Antonio chuckled quietly. “Then it’s good for you, _definitely_ good for you.” He shivered a moment later, though. “Ay, _cold_.”

Pushing himself up into a crouch, Antonio brushed the snow from his coat, and then surprised Arthur by holding out a hand to him. He took it all the same. Breath fogging the air, they got haltingly to their feet.

“…I suppose we should be getting back.” Arthur said quietly. “The meeting break is probably long over.”

“If we’re really lucky, the whole meeting will be.” Antonio joked, bringing a small smile to Arthur’s lips.

“Lucky indeed.” he uttered, beginning the trudge back across the lawn, and Antonio fell into step beside him.

It was only once they’d climbed the steps, Antonio reaching out for the door handle, that he frowned slightly. What had made Antonio so oddly quiet in the first place? He went to ask, mouth opening as Antonio pulled on the door, but he hesitated as his gaze settled on Antonio’s smile.

He hadn’t been smiling when he’d come outside.

Ducking back into the building after Antonio, Arthur kept the question to himself.

For once, he wouldn’t be the one to ruin his smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! You can also come and bother me at anglaisaph on tumblr ❤


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